iOS 8 Creates Connectivity Issues With Some Aftermarket Car Stereos

New York — Apple’s iOS 8 operating system has been out only a few days, and at least two aftermarket car audio suppliers – Pioneer and Clarion – have announced compatibility issues with head units that connect to iOS 8-equipped Apple devices via digital HDMI port.

Pioneer cited issues with 12 of its 30 AppRadio Mode apps whose functions are displayed and controlled from the touchscreens of AppRadio head units and from heads equipped with AppRadio Mode technology.

For the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPod Touch (fifth generation), nine applications are currently not compatible with iOS 8 because of a “a stability issue that results when using the in-app keyboard,” the company said on its website Those apps are AppRadio, AppRadioLIVE, Waze, ECTouch, CarBrowser, DashCommand, ExtraMile, Beej and Parkopedia

Three other AppRadio Mode applications are not compatible with iOS 8 on those devices because of “general stability and/or display related issues.” Those apps are Escort Live, My PV and Mixtrax, the company said.

To maintain the use of these apps, Pioneer recommended the continued use iOS 7.1.2 in an iPhone or iPod Touch.

“We will continue to test iOS 8 with AppRadio Mode ourselves and report back with any changes or additional issues,” the company said.

Pioneer also pointed out that iOS 8 is not compatible with the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch (4th generation), so users of those devices don’t have to worry about any iOS updates affecting head-unit performance.

For its part, Clarion said “preliminary tests have indicated some compatibility issues with Clarion models that take advantage of our Smart Access connectivity platform.”

On the NX604 and FX503, Clarion found that for users of the iPhone 5, 5s and 5c, the Smart Access app screen “may appear slightly smaller than expected and not fill the entire display” after installing the iOS 8.0 on an Apple device. “This issue causes minor misalignment of the touch points and application icons on the screen,” and the company “is working with Apple for a solution,” Clarion said.

On both of those head units and on the NX603, older versions of Clarion’s Smart Access app (2.0.0 and older) aren’t compatible with iOS 8.0 when installed on the iPhone 4S, 5, 5s and 5c. “If used with iOS 8.0, the older versions of the Smart Access app will cause stability issues or shut down unexpectedly,” Clarion said.

The solution is simple, however. Users are urged to get Smart Access App version 2.1.0 before updating to iOS 8.0.